About
The Manta Resort

Overview

About
The Manta Resort

Imagine yourself in a bedroom encapsulated within a turquoise blue bubble, watching shoals of reef fish swimming lazily by - sometimes in three or four layers of different species above the reef floor.

This is the heart-stopping experience that awaits you in the underwater room.The floating structure, Swedish engineered, provides three levels, those above the water clad in local hardwood, and each an experience in itself.

The landing deck, at sea level, has a lounge area and bathroom facility. A ladder leads up to the roof which has a lounging area - for sun worshipping by day and by night you can lie back in the starlight and wonder at the extraordinary clarity of the stars, planets and above all, the edge of our own galaxy - the wonderful Milky Way - all seen without any light pollution.

Sleep under the stars to the soft murmuring of the sea.

Then downstairs - the magical feeling of lying on a soft double bed surrounded by panes of glass affording almost 360 degree views - watching the shoals of reef fish and exquisite, often rarely seen individuals visiting your windows. Some have taken up residence around the room, which affords them some protection from predators. For instance, three bat fish and a trumpet fish called Nick who is always swimming around and seemingly looking in !

By night, the underwater spotlights beneath each window around the room attract the shyer and more unusual, for instance squid. Coral is already establishing itself on the anchoring lines and around the underwater structure. Octopus and even spanish dancers have been seen attaching themselves to the glass panes. The reef inhabitants can simply not resist attraction, which makes for exciting watching and a truly unique experience!

Facilities & Pricing

Price:

Once In A Lifetime

US $550+ / € 550+ / UK £275+

Rooms:
1 underwater room - 16 seafront and garden villas

Open Period:
All Year

Genberg Underwater Room at The Manta Resort

What began as an inspired work of installation art in a Swedish lake has now reached the Indian Ocean island of Pemba. There is a remarkable feeling to go to bed while the fish are surrounding and watching you carefully. You are in an aquarium – for fish to be beholders of man.

It is an adventure in the truest sense of the word. A uniquely absorbing experience.

Pemba Island and The Manta Resort

In search of the perfect underwater environment the team found themselves on a remote island, asking ourselves whether it gets any better.

The conclusion,

"a more remote location with whiter coral sand and clearer waters would be almost impossible to find"

Pemba Island has been separated from the mainland of Tanzania and Zanzibar for decades, leaving an untouched and pristine island of great beauty and fertility. The mosaic of forests, swamps, mangroves, hidden beaches and lagoons is scattered with the ruins of mosques and tombs mostly reclaimed by the forest – sites that date back to Arab domination when Pemba Island was seized by the Sultan of Muscat (Oman) in the 17th century. He loved the Spice Islands and established his court in Zanzibar and ruled Muscat from there.

Pemba is still the predominant global producer of cloves yielding around 70% of all the world’s cloves, but now plays its more traditional role of being an island paradise with small inter-island trade. Pemba Island also has a strong reputation as a ‘magic’ island, a centre for ju-ju traditions of medicine and wizardry.

How can such a beautiful place be so devoid of visitors? On an island with a population of 300,000 there are rarely more than a couple of dozen foreigners. It is as though the people of Pemba have a secret that they refuse to share. Traveling in Pemba is discovering untouched territory. Villagers are eager to talk to anyone who passes and small children will give you their biggest and whites smiles as the yell “bye-bye!” as you pass them by. You will be called over in markets by the stallholders to sit you down to try their fruits, waiting paitiently for your reaction.

When the Western Colonial powers came to East Africa the British forced the Sultanates of Muscat and Zanzibar to separate and then administered the Spice Islands in the name of the Sultan.

Historically the huge traditional trading vessels, or “dhows”, followed the monsoons down from the Arabian Peninsula to East Africa. Following the winds they transported cloves to India, textiles to the Arab countries and silver and wood back to the Spice Islands of Unguja and Pemba.

The dhows have remained a constant emblem throughout the history of Pemba. To this day the dhows sail from Wete to Shimoni in Kenya and then plough through to northern Mozambique when the winds become favourable.

Pemba is a magical island. Unlike Unguja (Zanzibar), Pemba is lush and hilly. Gentle, undulating hills and deep verdant valleys are all covered with a dense cover of clove, coconut, mango and other fruit and crop plantations.

The Manta Resort is elevated along an idyllic island beach on the northern most point of the island. Facing west to the sunset it offers privacy, romance, adventure, and water sports on one of East Africa’s finest island sanctuaries.

Low Season is from 01 March 2014 to 30 June 2014 and is a 20% discount off of the above rates, still all inclusive!

Origins: Utter Inn and Mikael Genberg

The original Utter Inn (Otter inn) was a single underwater room in a Swedish lake near Stockholm. The brainchild of Mikael Genberg, an artist and public speaker who has chosen to focus on the “making art for the public”, the bedroom lies 3m below the surface of Lake Mälaren in Västerås, Sweden and contains only twin beds and a table.

It opened in June 2000 on the coldest, rainiest day in the whole summer. Despite that it was a great success. Not only did all the untested solutions work, and work to this day, but it also attracted a people from all corners of the world. Unusual Hotels Of The World have worked with Michael and the Utter team since 2004 to promote and share the story of the Utter - and now The Manta Resort.

Who we are?

A small group of investors, Swedish and Tanzanian, have made the underwater room on Pemba possible. A Zanzibar registered company was formed, Genberg Art UW Limited, owning the underwater room and which in turn will be operated by The Manta Resort.

Map & Activities

The diving around Pemba is nothing else but breathtaking. The untouched coral reef surrounding the entire island makes Pemba one of the top dive sites in the world.

The Blue Hole

The Blue Hole is an anomaly in the coral reef clearly visible from The Manta Resort terrace. Approximately 250 meters off shore it falls to 12 meters deep at high tide and is roughly 50 meters wide in diameter. A circular hole inhabited by a number of large coral heads and abundant marine life. A perfectly protected spot for your floating underwater room.

The only sensible way to visit Pemba is with the scheduled charter flights. They are available daily mornings and afternoons. Download flight schedule (pdf).

Pemba is accessed via most airports in East Africa via Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam. The island can also be accessed with direct local flights with several charter airlines that operate smaller aircrafts. The most frequent route is Zanzibar – Pemba, and is serviced by these airlines:

Currently there are no direct flights from Nairobi or Mombasa to Pemba so you will need to fly via Zanzibar.

International connections to East Africa. Direct Flights to Zanzibar are now available with Ethiopian Airlines, Air Mauritius and Kenya Airways. Fast Jet flies direct from Johannesburg to Zanzibar. There are several international flights to Dar es Salaam and Nairobi: British Airways, Emirates, Oman Air, South African Airways, Kenya Airways, Swissair, KLM, Egypt Air, Air India, Air Malawi, and Brussels International. Charter connections to Zanzibar via selected tour operators are available via Air Europe in Italy, and into Mombasa via Condor and LTU from Germany.

I have actually stayed in The Underwater Room at the Manta Resort and the views are imaginable. such a great experience. Would recommend it to anyone!

A fan

Jan 6 2015

'm really impressed by the way the author wrote this piece. Makes me want to go to Pemba to experience this magic!

Zanzibar Travel

Jul 13 2016

I have actually stayed in The Underwater Room at the Manta Resort and the views are imaginable. such a great experience. Would recommend it to anyone!

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